Luke 17:20–21

Luke 17:20-21

English Standard Version 

  We were driving home the other night from Cincinnati and saw a massive storm ahead of us, with lightning and some rather imposing clouds.  We stopped for dinner, and by the time we were done, there was a huge rainbow going clear across the sky.  It was all very dramatic.

  That's what we expect when we think about the coming Kingdom of God.  The Pharisees were waiting for the same.

  Jesus tells us that the Kingdom often comes in quiet ways, and it's already in our midst, for in the coming of Jesus, the Kingdom has come.  There is much still in the future, but it's already breaking in, and we're invited to live into it in the here and now, to join with Christ in forgiving and loving and serving.  The Kingdom has come, and the transformation Christ offers us is available now, through the often quiet work of the Holy Spirit, calling us in our midst to live as disciples.

Luke 17:15–19

Luke 17:15-19 

English Standard Version 

  You've likely given and received lots of gifts in your life.  We can debate which is better, but regardless of where you land, a gift between people who know each other very well is something wonderful -- the gift is special, but it's special because it's wrapped up in the midst of a relationship.

  That's what Jesus is getting at here.  The gift of healing is a wonderful thing, and Jesus doesn't take the gift away from any of those who were healed.

  But one of the former lepers realizes that there is more than just a gift.  There is an opportunity to have a relationship with the one who gives every good gift.  His life has been transformed in more ways than just one -- he wants to enjoy God.  

  It's a fine thing to enjoy God's gifts, whatever those may be.

  But may we never lose sight of the reality that the gifts are meant to encourage us to dive deeply into a relationship with God, to immerse ourselves in the love and grace of the one who gives.

Luke 17:11–14

Luke 17:11-14

English Standard Version 

  Lepers stayed at a physical distance -- they were separated in so many ways from the community.  Jesus, at a distance, tells them to go show themselves to the priests, and they are healed.  

  Notice when they're healed.  It's as they are going.  It wasn't as soon as Jesus spoke.  They started to go before they were healed, and it was in the process of obeying Jesus that they were healed.

  Sometimes, we need to move before we see results.  So often, we do the reverse -- we wait for God to show us something dramatic or move in some way, telling ourselves that we'll move once God does.  

  But Jesus sometimes sends us with a command, and then results happen along the way.  So let us focus on obedience, and trust Jesus to be at work as we live.

Luke 17:7-8

Luke 17:7-10 

English Standard Version 

  Here, I believe Jesus is trying to ensure we don't develop a sense of entitlement, where we start thinking that God is the vending machine in the sky, where we deposit an act of faithfulness and get a reward.  The expectation is that we ought to be faithful in response to the grace that God showers upon us.  We have not earned it, and yet salvation and hope are given to us.  

  So we're encouraged to live and interact with humility.  All that we have is gift, and we should live with that in mind.  Our Christian duty is a response to God's initiating love.  We love and serve because we have been loved and served.

Luke 17:5–6

Luke 17:5-6

English Standard Version 

  This reminds me a little of the idea that we'd be more generous once we have more money, or that we'll do something differently once we have more time.  It's easy to imagine how things might be different once we have more of something... but the reality is that we often don't change like that.  We like to imagine that we'd live differently if we had more faith, or stronger faith, which is what the apostles said to Jesus.  They hear about so many amazing things, but they don't think they have enough faith.

  Jesus tells them that it isn't about the size of their faith, but rather about who they are placing their faith in.

  The reality of our lives is that we often place our faith in ourselves, and we think of relying on God as a backup plan.

  Jesus wants us to flip those things, and to rely on God completely.  God is strong enough and faithful enough to support us.  Start your day, Jesus encourages us, by casting ourselves upon Christ, and depending completely upon God.  Place our faith in God first, who cares for us, and we'll discover that our faith is strong enough as long as it is in God.

Luke 17:1–4

Luke 17:1-4 

English Standard Version 

  What does it mean to forgive someone?  Let's say I let you borrow my car, and it comes back with french fries spilled everywhere, two unpaid parking tickets shoved into the glovebox, and three new dents.  I would be somewhat unhappy with this development.  Would I lend you my car again?  Absolutely not. Would I expect you to provide financial compensation for the damages incurred?  Absolutely.  Could I approach you without a desire for vengeance in my heart, with grace in our conversation and a willingness not to allow my anger to define our relationship?  I would hope so.  This is the important part.  Forgiveness doesn't mean there cannot be repercussions for actions.  Forgiveness means that we do not keep score, that grace defines the relationship, that we seek what is best for the other, rather than allowing our desire for punishment to be the most important thing.  

  Jesus was open and honest about the reality that we will fail.  We will sin, and others will sin, and we'll be frustrated and upset.  That can pass.  What matters is that we're striving to help one another grow and that we're practicing extending the same grace we receive from Christ to one another.

Roller Coasters and the Gospel

Luke 16:25–31

Luke 16:25-31 

English Standard Version

  If you decide to do the rim-to-rim hike in the Grand Canyon, linking the North Rim to the South Rim, you'll hike about 24 miles and deal with over 10,000 feet of elevation change.  Serious preparations are advised.

  In this story from Luke, a rich man is in torment in hell and asking for comfort.  Abraham replies that there is a great chasm fixed between heaven and hell, and there is no passing over.

  It's easy to think of this chasm as the Grand Canyon -- something that might be challenging, but ultimately overcome-able through a great effort.

  But we cannot atone for our own sin.  We keep sinning, and are unable to make the perfect sacrifice.  Only Jesus can do this, and thanks be to God that he has done just this -- he has stood in our place and done what we could not do.  Because of Christ, we have hope.

  So give thanks that the chasm is not our destiny, because of what God has done.

Sermon on the Parable of the Lost Coin

Luke 16:19–24

Luke 16:19-24 

English Standard Version 

  The rich man and poor man in this story live very, very different lives, and yet they both die.  Death is the great equalizer -- and here we discover these suffer very different fates.  The poor man, who is given a name, is taken to heaven, and the rich man, who has no name, ends up in torment.

  Is it because he is rich?  No, for Abraham was very rich.  The rich man never noticed the poor man who lived at his gate.  He believed that his wealth was all that he needed, so he lived in comfort, unable to open his eyes to the opportunities that God had placed before him.

  What opportunities has God put in your midst?  How can we pray for God to open our eyes to what surrounds us, to the people near us who are in need?  May we look to serve others first.

Luke 16:18

Luke 16:18 

English Standard Version 

  Jesus is in the midst of talking about the Pharisees and money, and suddenly he mentions divorce.  What gives?

  Remember, the Pharisees' hearts had drifted from God, and they looked to the letter of the law and tried to find loopholes to justify whatever behavior they wanted.  For example, in those days, divorce was almost always initiated by the man, in which case he left his wife without income or social standing.  There were religious teachers arguing that a man could divorce his wife for almost any reason, such as spoiling dinner.  They were trivializing the covenant of marriage and leaving women incredibly vulnerable.  

  Jesus, as always, is looking out for the vulnerable.  Just a chapter ago, we had the parables about how God sought out the lost coin and the lost son.  The theme has not suddenly pivoted away from God racing to protect and embrace the vulnerable and those who have erred.  Jesus is still welcoming and restoring, but he's also warning those who see people as disposable.  He's rebuking religious leaders who are missing the point and using the law as a weapon against others and as a way to bolster their own power.  He's pointing to the faithfulness of God, calling us all to reflect on the unfailing love of God and to seek to reflect that in every corner and aspect of our lives.

Luke 16:14–17

Luke 16:14-17 

English Standard Version 

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  Imagine that you're hearing Jesus critique your behavior.  How do you respond?

  The Pharisees, who were likely defensive, ridiculed Jesus.  It must have been terribly uncomfortable for them to hear Jesus speaking directly to them.  They loved money, and they wanted to keep loving money.  They had wandered into a land where they loved money more than God... but when they heard someone confront this, rather than wrestle with the uncomfortable reality, they simply laughed at the one who was criticizing them.

  None of us like criticism.  It stings.  But Jesus doesn't criticize because he wants to hurt the Pharisees.  He wants them to grow into the disciples they were called and created to be.  He loves them too much to leave them as they are.

  Jesus likely has harsh words for us, too.  We are far from perfect.  My heart certainly wanders.

 Can we find the humility to go to God daily and ask for God to shine a light on where we need to grow and change?  God wants you to grow into the disciple you were crafted to be.  God loves you too much to leave you where you are, no matter your age.  So ask God to show you how to grow, how to change, that we may all be transformed by the work of the Holy Spirit.

Luke 16:10-13

Luke 16:10-13 

English Standard Version 

  It's easy to be envious of other people's lives.  Every day, there are reminders of people who have far more material wealth.  In my parking garage, there are countless cars that serve as status symbols and cost more than I make in a year.  

  Jesus tells us that being faithful isn't about waiting until you've made it big.  He says that what you have now matters, regardless of how much or how little it is.  If you focus on faithfulness every day, whether it's in little moments or big choices, then we train our hearts to learn how to handle bigger things.  

  In all of this, we're leading our hearts.  If we allow the world to lead them, our appetites will devour us.  We'll get caught in an endless cycle of wanting more.  Jesus talks directly about the dangers of money... if we allow our hearts to serve wealth, that ends up first in our hearts and we miss serving God.  Jesus doesn't say there's anything wrong with possessing wealth, but the moment we stop thinking of it as a tool and we start looking to it as part of our identity, then we crowd out God.

  So think of some small moments that are upcoming in your day.  How can you pray your way through them?  Who will you talk to today, and how can you pray ahead of that for God to lead the conversation in a way that is a blessing?

Dessert Carts and the Gospel

Luke 16:5–9

Luke 16:5-9

English Standard Version 

  It's an odd story to find in the Bible, right?  Not everything in the Bible makes sense to me.  That doesn't really bother me, as it doesn't all need to make sense to me, but it'd be nice if it all made sense.  

  Again, the question to ask is what Jesus is trying to teach us.  And here, I think he's trying to lift our eyes beyond the monetary importance of today.  He wants us to see that money today isn't the most important thing -- what long term relationships are you building?  Jesus tells the people to make friends by means of unrighteous wealth, which doesn't fit with a lot of other things Jesus says, but he's pushing our vision beyond today.  Money will fade.  The rich don't stay rich.  But investing in eternity?  That is a place where thieves cannot break in and steal, where the moth cannot destroy.  Jesus is telling us to put our trust there and invest in what lasts.  

  So what's that mean for you today?  Again, no easy answers there, but it's something we should think about.

Sermon on Jesus as the Shepherd (8.2.2026)

Luke 16:1–4

Luke 16:1-4

English Standard Version 

  This parable has always confounded me.  Jesus lifts up the tale of a dishonest manager who doesn't seem to be admirable, but he does act decisively.  Perhaps this is what Jesus is trying to help us grasp.  Perhaps Jesus is trying to help us understand the importance of acting urgently.  When we recognize that we are falling short, and that God is calling us to be faithful servants, we should strive to act immediately, to seek to grow in faithfulness.  It's easy to put that off, to promise ourselves that we'll focus on discipleship later, but Jesus doesn't want us to wait around until later.  Jesus calls us to grow now, to focus now, that we might put the Kingdom of God above all the other urgent things calling out to us now.  

Luke 15:28–32

Luke 15:28-32 

English Standard Version 

  Do you remember how the Father watched out for the younger son, and when he was coming home, he ran to him?

  The Father comes out to the older son, too.  

  He comes with a reminder -- all that is mine is yours.  The Father has never left the older son, and the older son is not missing anything.  He has the love of the Father and the presence of the Father.  Perhaps he has forgotten how to rejoice with his Father, but the Father has come to remind me of that and to invite him into the celebration -- for the feast is rich and ready.  The celebration is prepared.  Does the older son remember how to celebrate?

  The Father comes to you, no matter where you are, no matter who in the story you relate to.  You are welcome to come and celebrate, to taste rich food and relax at the table.  God is good and loves you, and there is grace for you.

Luke 15:25–28

Luke 15:25-28 

English Standard Version 

  There's an old joke where St. Peter is giving a tour to some new inhabitants of heaven and he tells them to be quiet when passing a certain room, because that's where one group is and they think they're the only ones there.  Depending on the denomination you grew up in, that group's label will have been different, but the joke still lands.  It reminds me of John 21 when Peter and Jesus are talking about Peter's future, and Jesus is giving Peter all the details, but Peter sees John and asks Jesus, "Well, what about him?"  We're always wondering about how other people stand with God, and we often think we know that certain people or groups are on the outside looking in.  

  The prodigal son has returned, and now the story turns to the older brother.  He's the one who watched his younger brother demand his inheritance and cut himself off from the family.  The older brother has opinions about his younger brother, and when he hears of the radical grace extended upon the return, he is shocked and angry.  He refuses to go in to the party.

  We can all grasp his point of view.  He's so upset that he can't bring himself to be at peace with how the father is treating the younger son.  The father isn't operating according to his calculations of who deserves what.  This is the struggle of the Pharisees -- they see Jesus mingling with people who they think are less worthy than they are, and they're shocked and offended.  Do they see themselves as needing mercy, as needing grace?  Do we all recognize how dependent we are on God's reaching out to us in grace?  It's hard to set aside self-righteousness and pride and recognize our complete need of grace.  Are our hearts in love with the God who gives generously and freely?  

  Thankfully, the Bible portrays God's grace as abundant and unlimited.  Grace given to another doesn't lessen grace available for us.  It widens the community and makes the feast richer, more pleasing, as God longs for God's house to be full.  There is room for each at the table, so may we pray for hearts ready to celebrate another sinner finding grace, coming just as we are, fully reliant on God.

Luke 15:21–24

Luke 15:21-24 

English Standard Version 

  The son had a lengthy speech prepared.  

  Grace interrupted it, and the restoration is shocking in its totality.  The son was hoping to go to work and be recognized as an employee, not a treasured son.

  But grace overwhelms.  The transformation is complete -- from death to life.  God doesn't simply want us to be a little bit better than we were before... God wants to move us from death, ensnared by sin, into life, fully claimed by the Gospel.  That's what God intends for you.  That's what grace wants for you.  For you to be changed into something new.  You are a child of the living God, claimed in the waters of baptism and marked as Christ's own forever.  

  Grace has interrupted.  Thanks be to God.